Sachin Tendulkar Invests in Metasports Interactive, the Company Behind the Game Hitwicket

Global cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar became a strategic investor in Metasports Interactive, a mobile-first competitive sports gaming company. With this partnership, the company looks to grow its flagship cricket strategy title, Hitwicket, to 100 million downloads within the next 3 years.

Founded by Kashyap Reddy and Keerti Singh, the game Hitwicket has built a player base of over 20 million users across 120 countries since its launch in 2020. The game has witnessed a 100% growth in revenue in the last 6 months, with players spending an average of 51 minutes a day in the game.

Hitwicket is a leading competitive multiplayer cricket game that is built around strategic decision-making and brings tactical thinking to competitive cricket gaming. This emphasis on cricketing strategy drew Sachin Tendulkar to the game and influenced his decision to invest in Metasports Interactive. Tendulkar features across Hitwicket’s in-game experiences, content and brand activations.

Talking about the strategic association, Sachin Tendulkar said, “Hitwicket stood out to me for how it brings the strategic thinking behind cricket into the game. Cricket has always involved reading the bowler, assessing the field and deciding the right approach for every ball. Hitwicket captures that decision-making, going beyond reflexes to recreate how a cricketer thinks in the middle. The game translates that strategic dimension into an engaging experience for players. I enjoyed playing the game, believe in what the team is building, and that makes the association feel natural.”

Kashyap Reddy, Co-Founder and CEO, Metasports Interactive

Commenting on the association, Kashyap Reddy, Co-Founder and CEO, Metasports Interactive, said, “Hitwicket has built a distinct proposition in cricket gaming by making strategic decision-making central to the experience, and Sachin Tendulkar recognised this unique difference. Interacting with Sachin Tendulkar is helping us understand how elite cricketers think on the field and further improve the game engagement. Our 20 million players, spending 51 min per day in the game, demonstrate the engagement this approach can drive. Tendulkar’s belief in what we’ve built, together with the growth capital behind us, lets us take cricket strategy to every cricket fan in the world.

The partnership follows the USD 20 million user acquisition funding by London-based Metica in April 2026. Hitwicket’s strong monetisation metrics, deep player retention, and the consistent quality of its user acquisition data gave Metica the confidence to deploy capital at scale. Hitwicket has grown from an Indian cricket game into a global strategy title.

About Metasports Interactive:

Metasports is a mobile-first competitive sports gaming company building multiplayer sports games designed for long-term engagement and global scale. Its flagship title Hitwicket launched in 2020 blends deep, skill-based gameplay with mass-market accessibility. Hitwicket is the only Made in India game with more than 97% of its revenue generated through in-app purchases in India and International markets. Today, users spend ~51 mins daily on Hitwicket globally, comparable to the time spent by Football fans in the #1 Grossing Football game and 15 mins more than on Candy Crush.

With a long-term vision to create category-defining sports gaming franchises, Metasports is focused on shaping the future of competitive sports gaming on mobile. Operating with a player-first, performance-driven approach, the company maintains a strong focus on product quality, scale, and global impact, underscoring that India can build world-class gaming companies beyond casual or service-led products. Metasports has raised USD 20 million in UA funding from Metica (London). The startup is also backed by renowned cricket commentator, Harsha Bhogle. The game, designed as a skill-first, competitive multiplayer experience, has grown to over 20 million players across 120+ countries.

Sachin Tendulkar Partners with OpenAI to Launch ChatGPT’s New Inning in India

Sachin Tendulkar has stepped into a new kind of innings, this time in the world of artificial intelligence. On September 28, 2026, the cricket legend announced a multi‑year partnership with OpenAI, positioning himself as a prominent face of ChatGPT in India. The collaboration is designed to showcase how conversational AI can be woven into everyday life, from planning family trips to sparking curiosity through interactive games.

Tendulkar revealed the partnership through a post on X, where he shared his own experiences of using ChatGPT. He described how the tool helped him organize a family holiday and how he enjoyed playing guessing games with it, underscoring his belief that “one question usually leads to another.” This curiosity‑driven approach is central to the campaign, which aims to encourage Indians to explore AI not just as a technical tool but as a companion for learning, creativity, and problem‑solving.

I’m excited to announce my partnership with OpenAI. We have some interesting things coming up, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

I’ve always been curious... One question usually leads to another, and ChatGPT has certainly encouraged that habit. But it has also proved… pic.twitter.com/4FUaqOQRL3

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 28, 2026

The launch campaign featured a playful video in which Tendulkar challenged ChatGPT to guess his identity in ten questions. Future content will expand on this theme, with Tendulkar collaborating with entrepreneur Varun Mayya to highlight broader applications of AI across education, communication, and professional tasks. The tagline, “Sachin Tendulkar Starts a New Innings with ChatGPT,” captures both the spirit of innovation and the continuity of his iconic career.

OpenAI’s decision to partner with Tendulkar reflects the growing importance of India in its global strategy. ChatGPT’s user base in the country has doubled over the past year, and Tendulkar’s influence is expected to accelerate adoption further. His credibility as a national icon makes him an ideal ambassador to bridge technology with mass audiences, particularly in a market where AI is still in its early stages of mainstream acceptance.

Public reaction to the announcement has been mixed but lively. Fans celebrated the move as a bold new chapter, while skeptics questioned the practicality of using ChatGPT for tasks like trip planning when Tendulkar could rely on human assistants. Social media also responded with humor, with quips such as “100 centuries, and he still asks ChatGPT where to eat.”

This partnership is more than a celebrity endorsement; it signals a cultural shift in how AI is being introduced to everyday users in India. By aligning with Tendulkar, OpenAI is not only expanding its reach but also framing ChatGPT as a tool for curiosity, exploration, and connection. Much like his cricketing career, Tendulkar’s new innings with AI is set to inspire millions to experiment, learn, and engage with technology in ways that feel both personal and transformative.

God of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar Joins Reddit as Brand Ambassador

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has teamed up with Reddit as their new brand ambassador. That’s right—the man who ruled the pitch is now part of the internet’s favorite hangout spot.

Tendulkar 99 has his own Reddit account, u/SachinTendulkar, where he’ll post personal thoughts, match memories, and behind-the-scenes stories. He’ll also join discussions in popular cricket communities like r/IndiaCricket and r/SachinTendulkar, giving fans a chance to hear directly from him.

Reddit's Vice President of International Growth, Durgesh Kaushik, said, "Sachin Tendulkar, a name synonymous with cricket excellence, possessed a remarkable ability to transcend boundaries and unite people through his extraordinary talent. His presence on the field fostered a powerful sense of community among fans, who were drawn together by their shared admiration for the "Master Blaster".

"This unifying community spirit is precisely what we aim to empower and cultivate at Reddit. We envision Reddit's cricket communities becoming vibrant digital spaces where fans from every corner of the globe can come together, connect, and share their passion for the sport, and most importantly, engage directly with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. We are immensely proud and excited to officially welcome the "Master Blaster" as Reddit's Brand Ambassador. We believe that his participation will enrich the experience for cricket fans worldwide, offering them unprecedented opportunities for interacting and connecting with one of the game's greatest icons."

Reddit chose Sachin as part of its push to grow its sports audience—especially in India. In the past year alone, cricket discussions on Reddit got 3.7 billion views and 32 million interactions. Overall, sports content has grown 30% on the platform.

Sachin said he loves how passionate Reddit’s communities are and is excited to interact with fans in a more personal way. It’s a modern twist on fan connection—where he isn’t just admired but gets to be part of the conversation too.

Not everyone missed a chance to joke about it though. Comedian Rohan Joshi joked that Sachin has "touched too much grass" to truly fit in with Reddit users, who are known for staying indoors. But that’s part of the charm—bringing cricket’s biggest icon into Reddit’s unique, chatty world.

In short, it’s a smart move for both sides: Reddit gets a national hero, and fans get closer to the game’s greatest. Let’s see how many sixes he hits in this digital innings.

Sachin Tendulkar’s Special Edition Cards Sold Out within Minutes

In a stunning display of devotion to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, fans have snatched up every limited edition Tendulkar Black Card offered by Rario, the largest digital cricket collectibles platform in the world, announced the launch of a limited edition Tendulkar Black Card in honour of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's 50th birthday. The 10 cards that were offered on Monday, sold out within minutes. Cricketers Zaheer Khan and Dinesh Karthik were among the lucky few who managed to secure one each.

As a bowler, there's nothing more satisfying than taking a wicket. But buying Sachin's limited edition card on @Rariohq comes pretty close! pic.twitter.com/aHBPmmR9qY

— zaheer khan (@ImZaheer) April 25, 2023

The uniqueness of the Tendulkar Black Card lies in its rarity, making it an exceptional collectible not easily obtainable elsewhere. Possessing these exclusive cards grants fans the privilege of interacting with Sachin Tendulkar, which is a rare and special privilege. The demand for digital cards was so high that the initial price of INR 50,000 quickly became a mere starting point. In the end, these cards sold for a whopping INR 80,000 on the Rario marketplace, demonstrating the incredible love and admiration that fans have for Sachin Tendulkar.

Just got my hands on @sachin_rt's limited edition card on @rariohq and I have to say, it's like hitting the perfect cover drive - pure joy and satisfaction! pic.twitter.com/e5WAE0vvQo

— DK (@DineshKarthik) April 25, 2023

“I am delighted to be amongst a few who are able to own the Tendulkar Black Card. Sachin Tendulkar is an inspiration to cricketers around the world, and this card is a valuable addition to any cricket collector's collection and it’s an honour to have a card of a player who has been an inspiration for millions of Indians like me”, said Zaheer Khan. 

“I can't even put into words how thrilled I am to own digital cards of Sachin Tendulkar, one of the best players India has ever produced. It’s like a dream come true for me as a fan. The fact that it's a one-of-a-kind digital asset that I can truly call my own is just mind-blowing. I'm looking forward to cherishing and keeping it as part of my collection for years to come!”, said Dinesh Karthik.

Rario's success as the go-to destination for cricket fans worldwide can be attributed to its innovative approach to engaging fans with the sport they love. By offering a platform where fans can collect and trade digital cards featuring their favourite cricket stars, Rario has redefined the way fans interact with the game.

About Rario

Founded in 2021 by IIT Alumni Ankit Wadhwa and Sunny Bhanot as the world’s first officially licensed digital collectibles platform for cricket fans, Rario has emerged as the largest digital cricket collectibles platform in the world, where fans can collect and trade digital cards. Rario has partnered with some of the largest cricket boards, leagues and teams namely Big Bash League, Women’s Big Bash League, Super Smash, Caribbean Premier League, Lanka Premier League, Abu Dhabi T10 League, and Legends League Cricket along with Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket, Zimbabwe Cricket Board, Afghanistan Cricket Board, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans. Currently, Rario has a roster of over 150 international cricketers exclusively on their platform. Rario has sold over 1.3 million player cards to cricket fans across the globe. Since its inception, Rario has continuously innovated to engage fans in the game of cricket through digital sports memorabilia and curated fan experiences.

Rario not only has partnerships with Dream Capital, Polygon Studios and Animoca Brands but is also supported by Kingsway Capital and Presight Capital.

Visit: RARIO |www.rario.com

Sachin Tendulkar Makes Strategic Investment in Cricket NFT Platform Rario

Rario, the world's first officially licensed digital cricket collectibles platform, has partnered with the legendary cricketer Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar to enter the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) market. This partnership not only involves Sachin as a strategic investor but also allows fans from around the world to own his digital collectibles exclusively on Rario.com.

Sachin continues to hold a special place in the hearts of billions in India and worldwide, and his fan base continues to grow from generation to generation. With the help of this collaboration, Tendulkar's fans' now have the chance to own digital collectibles of their favourite player and use them across multiple utilities that follow.

Many legendary and upcoming cricketers are already exclusively on the Rario's platform including Aaron Finch, Faf Du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Shakib Al Hasan, Rishabh Pant, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Smriti Mandhana, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel.

Rario Co-Founder and CEO, Ankit Wadhwa said, “In 1996, I saw Sachin Tendulkar live for the first time at the India-Sri Lanka World Cup match in Kotla, Delhi. The greatest player in the world had scored a run-a-ball 137 - he was the hero of a billion cricket lovers. Twenty-six years later, partnering with the Master Blaster with him investing in Rario is a surreal feeling. It is a testament to our vision of making fandom more accessible. A world where stars don’t just exist on a distant flickering screen or in a crowded stadium, and fans don’t get to be passive observers but active participants. It is only fitting that the man who once carried a billion hopes is now blessing us in our journey to redefine fandom for a billion fans. With the God of Cricket backing us, sky is the limit!”

Speaking on the partnership, Sachin Tendulkar said – “Fans are an integral part of any sport. While the on-field action happens for a few hours, fans carry the memories forward and immortalise those moments forever. It is exciting to see NFT technology bringing fans closer to sports, giving them an opportunity to treasure their favourite moments. The team at Rario was committed to building a cricket community using technology in a responsible way. I am therefore happy to partner with the team, to launch my digital collectibles exclusively on the Rario platform”.

“Rario is committed to sustainability. And with this objective, we moved our infrastructure to Proof-of-Authority (PoA) Rario Chain, which translates to greater environmental friendliness and a significantly lower carbon footprint than conventional blockchains. Our goal is to bring cricket fans closer to the sport and their idols by providing them with unique personalised experiences. There is no greater cricketing idol than Sachin Tendulkar! We are thrilled to have him as a strategic investor and brand ambassador on our journey to build the world’s largest cricket fan club.” said Sunny Bhanot, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Rario.

Since NFTs entered the market, the perspective on digital assets has undergone a radical change. NFTs are a class of digital assets that use blockchain to track asset ownership and transfer. Since its inception, the craze has spread to include all forms of art, media, fashion, and sports. NFTs are rapidly approaching the $50 billion market value of all works of art, with a market value of $40 billion.

About Rario - World’s first Officially Licensed Cricket NFT Platform

Founded in 2021 by IIT Alumni Ankit Wadhwa and Sunny Bhanot as the world’s first officially licensed digital collectibles platform for cricket fans to collect and trade cricket NFTs (Non-fungible Tokens). Rario has exclusive partnerships which include Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket, Big Bash League, Women’s Big Bash League, Super Smash, Hero Caribbean Premier League, Lanka Premier League, Abu Dhabi T10 League, and Legends League Cricket, and has a roster of over 900 international cricketers as well as over 30 exclusive brand ambassadors.

Having Polygon Studios, and Animoca as partners, Rario is backed by reputed investors such as Kingsway Capital, Presight Capital, and Dream Capital. Since 2021, Rario has sold over 150,000 NFTs to sports fans across 75+ countries.

Sachin Tendulkar Invests in IoT Company Smartron

Bharat Ratna and Cricket legend  Sachin Tendulkar has invested in Bangalore-based Internet of Things (IoT) company Smartron India, and has also become the brand ambassador of the company.

“I have always been fascinated by technology. Smartron’s founding vision for the need for a robust product ecosystem in the country to grow is very impressive. We need to support brands that are designed and engineered in India by our entrepreneurs and engineers that ably compete in the global markets,” said Tendulkar.

“I look forward to being part of the growth journey of Smartron buoyed by tremendous growth opportunities offered by IoT worldwide??,” he added.

Smartron India has been operating in stealth mode since August 2014 and is set to launch a slew of smart devices and Internet of Things (IoT) products for consumer and enterprise markets in the first quarter of FY 2016-17.



 

Smartron aims to become an India-based premier global OEM brand, by aggregating and accelerating the product level (innovation, design and engineering) expertise in India to bring broad product mix to the market quickly. Smartron is focused on innovating and disrupting in the areas of smart, sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data, and crowd technologies to bring great IoT platform enabled products that can lead and rival global brands in delivering memorable experience.

It is headed by Founder & Chairman Mahesh Lingareddy who is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Soft Machines Inc., a US-based semiconductor company with operations in US, India, and Russia.

He says " He is one of the greatest Indian stories of our times, a true global icon and brand that disrupted the game of cricket, and inspired generations.We are very excited and privileged to have Sachin join us in our journey."
We have the same aim to achieve the same in the technology space by building a global product brand from India, disrupting the IoT market with innovative products and inspiring generations of engineers and entrepreneurs, he added.

What's your take on this association of Sachin with the IoT firm Smartron?

Musafir.com a Travel Portal with Sachin Tendulkar as stakeholder launches in India

Today, a new travel portal Musafir.com launched in India with Sachin Tendulkar as a minority stakeholder in it as well as brand ambassador of portal. Musafir.com is UAE-based travel portal and Sachin hold 7.5% stake in it. The master blaster Sachin Tendulkar launched the portal in a press conference in Mumbai with turban on his head and even named his this turban face character as - 'Shekhu Shekhawat'.

"Musafir.com has been the most different from all the ads i have done till date" said Sachin Tendulkar at launch.

Musafir.com is the UAE's first premium-experience travel website now ready to launch operations in India. Currently it offer flights to over 3,000 destinations and stays in over 46,000 properties around the world.The company is now venturing in the exciting Indian travel market with the promise to establish the same company ethos which made musafir a success in the UAE.

Musafir.com was founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Sachin Gadoya and Albert Dias in August 2007 and was inaugurated by Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani on April 23, 2009.

With Sachin on board of Musafir.com's promotion the travel portal might give stiff competetion to leading online travel agencies (OTAs) such as MakeMyTrip, Yatra.com or ClearTrip. Although these OTAs, sell only about 15% of international tickets sold daily and rest 85% are sold by mostly brick-and-mortar travel agents.

Sachin Tendulkar is the second celebrity in the last two years roped in by travel companies as a stakeholder. Last year, actor Salman Khan bought a minority stake in Yatra.com.